Turkey highly appreciates the support it has been receiving from Malta on its bid to become an EU member, following up on the association agreement it had signed in the 1960s.

Turkish Minister and Chief Negotiator of EU Affairs, Egemen Bagis, said his country was making great strides in this direction and "will become an EU member state thanks to Malta's support".

He was speaking to the press following bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Tonio Borg.

"I am here to thank you for your support and ask you to continue supporting us. Turkey is the only country which has an association agreement but is not an EU member. Turkey will eventually join the EU with Malta's support," he said.

On his part, Dr Borg said there "should be no question on the exclusion of Turkey" from EU membership.

"There is a set of criteria and if you fulfil them you have the right to join the EU. If Turkey is western enough to be part of Nato and European enough to form part of the Council of Europe, there should be no problem for Turkey to become an EU member state," he said.

On a bilateral level, the two ministers discussed the Visa issue and the need for Turkish nationals to be granted a visa to be able to visit Malta, something that was not required before Malta joined the EU but had to change because of EU rules.